Warwickshire Police and partners host ‘Cake Not Hate’ event in support of Hate Crime Awareness Week 2019

This week, Warwickshire Police and the Warwickshire Hate Crime Partnership will be supporting national Hate Crime Awareness Week 2019 by holding a ‘Cake Not Hate’ event to raise awareness of hate crime.

Hosted by Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Seccombe, and the Equality and Inclusion Partnership (EQuIP), a charity working across Warwickshire to eliminate discrimination in all its forms, the event will take place from 11am until 2pm on Saturday, 19 October at the Spa Centre in Leamington Spa.

This event is open to anyone who would like to attend and is a fantastic opportunity for police and partners to engage with the public and raise awareness of hate crime, while highlighting the impact it has on the lives of victims and what can be done to support them.

The day will be compered by BBC journalist and television presenter Trish Adudu and will feature a series of talks, including one from guest speaker Figen Murray, who tragically lost her son Martyn Hett in the 2017 Manchester bombings.

There will also be an opportunity to take part in a question & answer session, where guests can put their questions about hate crime to Deputy Chief Constable Richard Moore, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Seccombe, and a lead prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Attendees are encouraged to bring cakes along to the event to share with other guests.

Chief Inspector Lee Kemp, hate crime lead for Warwickshire Police, said: “Raising awareness of and tackling hate crime remains a priority for us which is why we are pleased to be supporting the national Hate Crime Awareness Week for the fifth year running, by hosting the ‘Cake Not Hate’ event. We hope to see as many people from the local community there as possible.

“Hate crimes have traditionally been underreported and we have done a huge amount of work in recent years to give victims the confidence to come forward and report their ordeal, something that has led to an increase in reporting.

“We welcome the fact that more people have the confidence to come forward but it is concerning because behind each of the reports is someone who has been victimised because of who they are, by someone who thinks that this is acceptable.

“Our message is therefore clear; there is simply no excuse for hate crime and we will not tolerate this type of behaviour. We will always support victims of hate crime and continue to work to prevent crimes motivated by prejudice and hate."

Philip Seccombe, Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire, said: “Hate crime can come in many forms and, despite the considerable progress that has been made in recent years,  continues to blight the lives of too many people. It’s hugely important for me to support events like Cake Not Hate, which allow the stories of people who have been subjected to hate crime the opportunity to share their experience with a wider audience. The impact can often be devastating and its vital that we raise awareness as this is a problem that everyone in society has a role in helping to eradicate.

“At the same time, the Cake Not Hate event allows the police and all of the partner agencies the platform to showcase the serious progress that has been made in recent years to tackle hate crime, as well as all of the information and support which is now available across the county.

“We can all make a difference by ensuring that hate crime is reported whenever it occurs – in Warwickshire this is made easier by the www.ReportHateNow.com website, which I help fund to provide a wealth of information and advice for anyone who has experienced hate crime and needs to know where they can turn to for help.”

See more information about the ‘Cake Not Hate’ event.

If you are interested in attending, please register your interest.

In addition to this event, Warwickshire Police will also be raising awareness of hate crime internally by putting on a number of diversity and inclusion sessions for officers and staff.

To keep up-to-date with the national narrative around Hate Crime Awareness Week, you can follow #NationalHCAW on social media.

What is a hate crime?

Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender's hostility or prejudice towards someone because of their:

• race or perceived race (including nationality, national origin, ethnic origin, race and colour)
• religion or perceived religion
• sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
• disability or perceived disability
• gender identity or perceived gender identity
• individual characteristics that makes someone appear different e.g. alternative lifestyle, culture, physical appearance and style of dress

To report an incident of hate crime, call 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency.  Alternatively,  you can use the Warwickshire Police online reporting facility here.

You can also report an incident of hate crime online via Warwickshire's www.reporthatenow.com or nationally via True Vision at www.report-it.org.uk

Alternatively, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

If you have been a victim of hate crime and would like support, you can contact Victim Support on 02476 351 003 or 08081 689 111.

Issued: LK, Corporate Communications